Email is one of the most crucial forms of communication you have with your clients, potential customers, suppliers, and colleagues. A widely accessible and generally accepted form of business communication, email is a very costeffective,
time-efficient tool that has a high response rate. Email is used to build your community online, sell your products and services, provide customer service, reinforce brand awareness, and encourage customer loyalty.
In the online community, email is an extremely efficient way to build and maintain relationships. As a marketing tool, email is one of the most costeffective ways to maintain an ongoing dialogue with your customers and potential customers.
However, with the overabundance of spam, spam-detection software, filtering of email, and anti-spam legislation, things are changing in the email world. It is becoming a challenge to make sure that your email is received, opened, and responded to.
Making the Connection
Email is a communication medium, and as with all forms of communication, you do not get a second chance to leave a first impression. Email must be used appropriately. People receive large amounts of email each day, and the tips in this chapter will help to ensure that your email is taken seriously.
All kinds of files can be sent via email, including audio, video, data, pictures, and text. With an autoresponder, information can immediately be sent automatically to customers and potential customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year in response to their online requests.